The Photo Exhibition “Recovery” documents the process of giving and receiving Red Cross assistance in Eastern Ukraine

“There is no loneliness where the Red Cross Movement takes action”, noted Mykola Polishchuk, the President of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society in his opening remarks at the opening ceremony of the URCS photo exhibition “Recovery”. The exhibition is on display in the exhibition space of the National News Agency Ukrinform in Kyiv.

 The photos illustrate the diverse range of activities in which the Ukrainian Red Cross Society engages in Ukraine – from running mobile health units, first aid trainings and psychosocial support groups to supporting home care, livelihoods, and the wellbeing children and youth. Some of these activities, such as mobile health units, are typical for only the area of Eastern Ukraine where people still suffer from the effects of armed conflict, while others, such as first aid trainings, are being implemented across Ukraine.

 “This is a story of dignity of those giving and receiving help, an admiration for people supporting others in need”, described Oles Kromplias, the internationally recognized Ukrainian photographer behind the photos. Kromplias spent several days with URCS staff and volunteers in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk (Government-controlled Areas), capturing the reactions of people when they received assistance from the Red Cross. As a matter of fact, the name of the exhibition “Recovery” stands for the hope and positive emotions that aid sparks, but, moreover, it is an illustration of how people’s lives change when they receive care and attention.

The exhibition is supported by the partners of the URCS – the Luxembourg Red Cross and the IFRC.

 The exhibition “Recovery” will run until the 25th of November 2019. The eexhibition space is located at Bohdan Khmelnytsky Street 8/16, Kyiv, and entry to the exhibition is free.